Confidence vote loss for Welsh first minister

The Welsh first minister, Vaughan Gething, has lost a confidence vote less than 12 weeks after taking office after a series of scandals that have called into question his judgment and transparency.

- Steven Morris

Gething's defeat is a significant blow to his authority and a problem for Keir Starmer, who so far has backed the Labour first minister.

The motion of no confidence was tabled by the Conservatives and backed by Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, but it has become clear that Gething has also lost the confidence of some in his own party.

Though the vote is nonbinding and will not automatically force him to resign, there is no doubt his leadership has been damaged and pressure on him to step down is bound to grow.

Gething vowed to carry on, saying: "I'm here, proud to be the first minister of Wales, to serve and lead my country. That's what I will carry on doing."

He called the no confidence motion a "transparent gimmick" led by the Welsh Conservatives during a general election campaign.

Earlier this week Gething had said he was confident he would win the vote, but yesterday morning the outcome was put on a knife edge when Labour said two of its members were unwell.

The two who did not vote were the former social partnership minister Hannah Blythyn, whom Gething sacked, and the former transport minister Lee Waters.

Gething said the vote was lost because the two Senedd members were off ill and the opposition parties had refused to "pair", the custom under which voting numbers are evened out.